10 Largest Rivers In The World

There are so many large rivers around the world but which one is the largest? The criterion for identifying a large river is its average discharge per second. Some of the largest rivers on our planet can be viewed from the space. These include the Amazon and the Ganges. Here is the list of 10 largest rivers in the world by discharge.

10Yenisei River

The rivers start from Mongolia and number of tributaries from many cities join it on its way down till it meets with the Kara Sea. The 3,449 miles long river has a discharge of 18,040 m³/ second with a drainage basin of nearly 2,580,000 square km. Its maximum depth is eighty feet while the average depth is 45 feet.

9Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra has its starting point in Tibet and runs through Bangladesh, India and China. The river is 1,765 miles long with a drainage basin area of 651,000 square km while the average discharge of water is 19,300 m³/ second. The river plays a significant role in irrigation and transportation. It has an average dept of 124 feet while the maximum depth is 380 feet. The river has a tendency to cause disastrous flooding during spring with the melting of Himalayan snows. The Brahmaputra outflows into Padma River.

8Parana River, South America

Followed by the Amazon, the Para is the second longest river of South America. It traverses a distance of 4880 kilometers via Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The average discharge of water in its case is 25,700 m³/ second and it has 2,582,600 square km of the basin. It joins the Atlantic at the end of its long journey.

7Rio Negro

This is another tributary of the Amazon. It originates from Colombia and is 2230 miles long. It discharges water at the rate of 28,400 m³/ second. Its drainage basin is spread over an area of 691,000 square km. It outflows into the Amazon.

6Yangtze River, China

The Yangtze gets the credit of the longest river in Asia. In China, the river is known as the Yangzi or as the Chang Jiang. The discharge of this river is estimated at about 30,166m³/ second with a drainage basin of about 1,940,000 square km. The 6428 miles long river merges with the East China Sea. In the middle of 2014, the Chinese government declared its plans to build a multi-tier transport system comprising of roads, railways, and airports along the river and thus create a new economic belt.

5Madiera River

It originates in Bolivia and travels through Brazil and outflows into the Amazon. This 3380 kilometer long river has a discharge of 24,397m³/second, while its water basin has an area of nearly 850,000 square km. The Portuguese called it the River of Cuyari or the Wood River and is formed by joining of two great rivers near its mouth.

4Orinoco River, Venezuela

The Orinoco in Venezuela apart from being the fourth largest river of the world is also among the longest rivers of South America. It has a drainage basin of 880,000 square km and an average discharge of 33,000m³/second. It outflows into the Atlantic. The Orinoco with its tributaries forms the key system of transportation for interior and eastern Venezuela as also for the llanos of Colombia.

3Ganges, India

This is the largest river in India that is formed by melting of ice and many tributaries join it as it travels down from the Western Himalayas. It has an average discharge of about 42,470 m³/second, too far from the Amazon. Its Drainage basin is 1,635,000square km. The 2,948 miles long river outflows into the Bay of Bengal. The Hindus consider it a sacred river and worship it. Unfortunately, this river is rated as the fifth largest polluted river.

2Congo, Africa

This second worldwide largest river also has few other records to its credit. This African river is the deepest and ninth longest river, having a length of 6453 kilometers. With a drainage area of 6,915,000km², it has a discharge of 209,000m³/second and merges with the Atlantic.

1The Amazon – Largest River In The Earth

Amazon river

Amazon river from the space

With a discharge of 209,000 m³/second, Amazon is the largest river that travels a length of 6,453 kilometers before merging with the Atlantic. This discharge is more than that of the next seven largest rivers, except its tributaries of Rio Negro and Madeira. Its drainage basin covering an area of 7,050,000 square km is the largest worldwide and equals one-fifth of the entire river flow of our world.